The Calm Before the Storm
by LadyWillow
Summary: "His voice made me shiver, like fingernails on a chalkboard that I wanted to hear again and again..." when a chance storm causes a mysterious stranger to step into Claire's store, secrets come to light, and two strangers realize their destiny. Joker/OC, NOT a Mary Sue! Pre-Joker.
1. Chapter One: Beginnings

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Batman or any of the characters from Batman. I do however own Claire and the other original characters.

This story is an alternate start to The Joker becoming who he is. As such, he is a different kind of person to begin with. I'm going with the name "Jack".

The Joker in this story is BASED on Heath Ledger's performance, but this Joker is different in some personality ways and mannerisms.

EDIT: I don't know why, but the site isn't saving my formatting at all, and it's cutting out portions of the text. I'm trying to catch it all before uploading the chapters to the story, but I'm sure I miss a few things. If you notice text that runs together or doesn't make sense, or bad formatting please let me know and I'll fix it. I assure you I know how to write, the site is just giving me a hard time. Thanks!

**The Calm Before the Storm**

It was damn near a monsoon outside as I looked out the window at the meager amount of traffic going down a usually busy road. Behind me the radio played 'golden oldies', the signal crackling as it struggled to come through the thick stone walls.

All around me was beautiful hand-crafted furniture, and in the semi-darkness that the storm created, the multiple lamps cast a warm glow around the store.

Then the lamps flicked a few times, and Fleetwood Mac was interrupted by the blaring of the severe weather alarm.

I listened as tornado warnings were given out for several counties, feeling distant from the whole event, even when my own county was named.

A glance at the rustic carved clock on the wall confirmed my fears-I couldn't close for another two hours.

I turned my attention back to the window, just in time to see someone casually walking down the sidewalk in a trench coat, head lowered and hands stuck deep in their pockets. Wild long-ish wavy blonde hair was matted down from the rain, and the person was almost out of sight when they went still, turned, and our eyes met through the window.

The person was a man, and we stared at each other for several long moments. Even at the distance between us, his dark eyes were penetrating, and I felt myself flush and begin to tremble. A strange feeling of unease and foreboding came over me, and I gasped softly when he began to retrace his steps, then turned toward the door to my store.

It swung open, and the wind howled through, spraying the tile floor with rain water.

Then he stepped in, and gave his head a small shake before looking up to lock eyes with me once again.

He had terrible-looking scars on his cheeks leading up from the corners of his mouth, flesh raised and puckered, and I wondered how someone would come by such an injury.

"It uh, isn't polite to stare, y'know." he drawled, voice rough and pitching upwards at strange intervals.

Blushing, I looked away, and he cackled - yes, cackled -and began to walk around the small shop, shoes squeaking on the floor as he went.

I watched him touch various pieces of furniture, sliding his fingers over the finish or knocking on the headboards, and I had to smile just a little, his behavior reminded me of the kids that would come into the store with their parents.

"Quite the storm." I commented, and he grunted, then replied:

"What's a uh, lov-el-y lady like yourself doing working here alone during a storm like this?" he completed the new version of the trite pickup line by waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

His voice made me shiver, like fingernails on a chalkboard that you wanted to hear again and again, and I laughed, trying to cover up my discomfort.

He stepped closer, and tilted his head like a curious puppy, blinking a few times.

"Well, well, well, I uh, think someone has a crush on little old me." he affected a shocked expression and I turned a lovely shade of pink.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know you, I don't even know your name." I insisted, arms reflexively crossing over my chest.

"Jack." he said simply, then stared at me expectantly.

I hesitated, then relented.

"Claire."

"Lovely to uh, meetcha, Claire." he was back to drawling again, giving each syllable strange inflection, and I swallowed, mouth suddenly dry.

"You uh, never answered my ques-ti-on." he sing-songed, and I had to think for a moment before I was able to remember what he asked about.

"I work here for my mother." I said simply, and was about to elaborate when over the sounds of the pouring rain and blustering wind I heard the severe weather sirens going off outside.

A glance out the window and my stomach dropped. There were no cars at all on the road, and the trees were nearly sideways.

"Don't be afraid." Jack coaxed, and I licked my lips nervously.

"I don't have a basement." I stated simply, and he laughed that cackle again, and flopped onto the nearest couch.

"Tell me allll about you." he said, folding his hands in his lap, face attentive, and I frowned.

"Why?" I asked, feeling dread welling up within me again.

"Because I want to know, " he reasoned, "and I'll uh, find out about you whether you tell me or not, so you may as well spill."

I didn't like the implications of that statement at all.

I bit my lower lip for a moment, then decided to risk it.

"Well, I was born a poor black child…" I quoted.

He roared with laughter, and I couldn't help smiling, this guy was a great audience!

"I like you," he said plainly, after he had calmed down, "you're perfect."

I blinked. "Perfect for what?" I wasn't sure that I wanted the answer.

"Perfect for the uh, job of being my partner in crime." he gave me a toothy grin.

"Funny." I deadpanned, and he clutched at his chest.

"Madam, you wound me! Here I spill my greatest desires to you…"

Standing, he began to pace.

"This uh, city needs someone new to run things. Who has everything under control now, the mob? They don't understand, all this," he threw his arms out as if embracing the whole world, "is just one. Big. Joke."

I swallowed hard. This sounded awfully familiar to my own thoughts in the distant past, before things changed for me.

"And you get this joke?" I ventured, and he whipped around.

"Yes! And uh, I think you get it too."

"Ummmm… no." I said simply.

He grinned. "Just think about it. Here's my card." he thrust a bit of paper at me, then turned and strode out into the raging storm.

I looked down. He'd handed me a playing card. I flipped it over.

The Joker.


	2. Chapter Two: Joker's Wild

Disclaimer: I still don't own Batman or anything like that. Just own the original characters.

**The Calm Before The Storm**

_Chapter Two: Joker's Wild_

I couldn't stop thinking about him, or stop looking at the worn and creased playing card he'd given me. I didn't understand what it meant, but on a deep level, the joker seemed a fitting calling card for the strange, scarred man.

I was sitting on the sofa in the living room of my apartment, my pug Lazlo on my lap watching the ten o'clock news before bed. Lazlo, the lazy little piglet, was sound asleep and snoring away, legs kicking sporadically.

The newscaster - a buxom blonde with perfect white teeth - was reporting on another murder that had occurred in the bad part of town.

Apparently a man had been stabbed to death, although there seemed to be no motive beyond a suspected connection with the mob.

I was getting ready to change the channel when I froze, lips parting in shock as the woman on the TV continued to speak.

"The victim was found in his home with several stab wounds, but the most curious detail? The Glasgow smile carved into his face, his cheeks brutally sliced open from both corners of his mouth. And another oddity is the joker card left in the victim's left hand. What does this mean? And the question everyone is asking? Will this mysterious "joker" strike again?"

Numb with shock, I turned off the TV and stared at the black screen, mouth dry and body shaking.

I don't know how long I sat there in disbelief before the knock at my apartment door startled me into awareness.

Legs wobbling, I went to the door."Who is it?" I asked, voice hoarse.

"It's meee." An all too familiar voice sang, and my stomach clenched, a wave of dizziness washing over me.

"Open the door, sweetheart." he called, and I took a step back.

He tried again. "Open the door. You uh, don't want to make me angry, do you?"

No, I didn't. Steeling myself, I unlocked the door and slowly opened it.

And there he was. Jack. Except this time, he was different.

His face was covered in paint - white, with the scars and his lips a ghastly blood red, eyes dark.

"Like my new look?" he struck a pose, then stepped around me and into the apartment.

Lazlo trotted up and began to sniff Jack's ankles, and I held my breath.

"Who's this, then?" he asked, and smiled. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Lazlo." I stated, and he nodded.

"He looks like a pig." Jack stated simply, then strode over to sit on my couch.

Looking over his shoulder at me, he made eye contact and patted the cushion next to him.

I took a deep breath and sat down beside him, folding my hands in my lap.

"What are you doing here?" I blurted, and he giggled.

"I wanted to see if you considered my offer," he began, "like I said before, you're perfect for the job."

"Why am I perfect?" I demanded, and he grinned, reaching out to take my hands in his. They were warm and calloused, and I blushed.

"I know aaaallll about you, Claire." he said, licking his lips, then probing the inside of his cheeks with the tip of his tongue. "I know about the therapy, your uh, stay at the nut house, all the medications…did you ever think that maybe, it's not you that's crazy, but everyone else?"

I stared at him in shock, not sure what to say.

"H-how do you know about all that?" I asked, quite shaken.

"I have my ways." he stated enigmatically, giving me a wink.

"And besides all that, I know your biggest se-cret." he sang, and I froze.

"And I know how much you enjoyed it, too."

"No! It was self-defense!"

"To shoot him eight times and stomp his uh, face into pulp?"

I flushed, but remained silent.

"You might have gotten off on self-defense and insanity, but you and I know that you wanted to do it. You were _dying _to do it."

Tears welled up in my eyes, and I blinked them away angrily.

"He hurt me so many times, he deserved it!" I exclaimed, feeling something I'd kept chained up tight inside me break free.

"He did!" Jack agreed gleefully, "and a lot of other people do, too."

"Like that man you killed last night?" I demanded, and he laughed.

"Yes. Falconi's boy, in line to take over running things. He had to go. Plus, he insulted my uh, war paint." he grinned.

"It's wrong." I said simply.

"No, they're wrong, with all their rules that they think will kept them safe. But uh, we know the truth, don't we?"

I laughed. Did I ever!

"So, whaddya say, pumpkin? You in?"

I looked at this insane, scarred, dangerous man before me, unsure.

"C'mon baby, I need you." he implored, and I felt everything inside me just let go.

'I'm in."


	3. Chapter Three: Hahacienda

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Batman. Still own the original characters.

**The Calm Before the Storm**

_Chapter Three: Ha-ha-cienda_

"And uh, here we are!"

Jack had insisted on 'taking me home' immediately, and I'd packed up a few things, put Lazlo on a leash, and off we went.

Now we had pulled up in front of an abandoned construction site right in the heart of the most dangerous part of town. The half-finished building was left over from better days, when there was little crime and a stronger economy.

It was supposed to be an apartment complex, but only half of the building even had a roof. Weeds and grass grew up around abandoned construction equipment, and the place had an eerie, desolate feel.

"Home sweet home." My host said merrily, and when we got out of the car, he insisted on carrying my bags.

"It's… interesting." I said weakly, and he laughed.

"It uh, serves its purpose. Cops never come around here. Too dangerous."

I nodded, and we picked our way through the construction area, walking past faded and rusted signs proclaiming the place to be a hardhat area, and others saying it was condemned.

Lazlo happily lifted his leg to pee on several different sign posts, and the little dog was often lost in the tall grass and weeds that filled the empty areas.

We reached a set of double doors, and Jack motioned with a jerk of his head for me to open them up. I did so, and he led me down a hallway, lights flickering and dim, illuminating the cobwebs and filth all around.

When we reached another door, I opened it up and we entered an apartment. The place looked substantially better than what I'd seen so far, and I sighed in relief.

"Welcome home." he said, voice lower than usual. He put down the bags, I let go of Lazlo's leash, and Jack grabbed my hand.

"I'll uh, show you around."

The layout was pretty standard, but there was only one bedroom. When I mentioned this, Jack laughed hysterically.

"Afraid to uh, share a bed with little old me?" he asked, still giggling.

I blushed and chose not to answer which only drove him to laugh harder.

"Don't worry, baby. I'll be a gentleman. Tonight." He gave me a lecherous grin, and I swatted in his direction with a growl.

"So uh, whaddya think?" he asked, lifting his eyebrows curiously.

"It's nice. Clean and stuff."

"Surprised?" he chuckled, and I nodded.

Lazlo was busy scampering around the place, sniffing in every nook and cranny, nails clicking on the linoleum. His bright red leash trailed behind him, but didn't slow him in the slightest as he made sure to examine every inch of the new area, panting and snorting away.

There was suddenly a knock at the door, and Lazlo's ears perked up and he gave an excited yip, but remembered his training and didn't run for the door. Instead, he came to my side and sat down, looking up at me eagerly.

"Stay." I ordered, as Jack strode over and pulled the door open.

A large, beefy man entered, and began to speak with a heavy Italian accent.

"Mister Joker now, is it, Jack?"

Jack grinned. "Falconi, good to see you!" he grinned, and I looked on in confusion. Hadn't Jack just killed a Falconi?

"I just stopped by to thank you for taking care of that little problem for me," he said with a wink, "the payment's been put in your account."

He looked past Jack and met my eyes.

"Oh my, who is this?" he asked, eyes raking up and down my body a few times. "Is she for sale?"

Jack went deathly still, and slipped a hand into his pocket.

"No. She's mine." he ground out, and Falconi, oblivious, came towards me. I gulped, trying to decide if I should run.

He reached out and had barely brushed my hair with his fingertips when there was a knife at his throat.

"I uh, said she's _mine._" Jack growled, voice the lowest I'd ever heard, and Falconi put his hands up in a placating manner.

"Okay, okay Jack. Relax, I won't touch!"

"I think it's time for you to go." Jack hissed, lowering the knife, and Falconi nodded.

"I'll be in touch." he said, then hurried out the door, Lazlo growling deep in his throat as he stood beside me.

Jack strode over to me, grabbed me by the upper arms and hauled me against his chest."Mine." He snarled.

And then he kissed me.


	4. Chapter Four: Sweet Dreams

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Batman. Still own the original characters.

**The Calm Before the Storm**

_Chapter Four: Sweet Dreams_

__

My first instinct was to jerk away from his rough assault of my mouth, but when Jack tightened his grip on my arms and doubled his efforts, intensifying the kiss, I melted and cautiously returned the embrace.

My hands came up against his chest and he groaned, tongue pressing past my lips to brush mine boldly.

My hands slid up, cupping his cheeks, scars surprisingly soft against my palms, and he suddenly pulled back.

"Don't." he gasped out, and I slipped my hands behind my back, contrite.

"Sorry." I whispered, and he swallowed thickly, and nodded.

"Ground rules," he murmured, combing his fingers through my hair, "don't touch my face, let me do the talking and most importantly, do not steal my punch lines." he warned, and I nodded.

"Sure thing, boss." I said with a salute and he laughed and patted the top of my head.

"Good girl."

I smiled, then frowned. Was this just going to be another relationship where I was controlled constantly?

"C'mon baby, let's uh, get some sleep." he guided me towards the bedroom, and I unpacked my medications, preparing to take the small handful of pills.

"Umm, no." he said sternly grabbing my wrist before I could pop the pills into my mouth.

"I want _you_, not what _those_," he gave my hand a shake in emphasis, "turn you into."

I blinked. Not take my meds? It was unthinkable!

"But I need them to function!" I insisted.

"No you don't, that's just what they made you believe. Remember, I know _alll _about you."

I trembled.

"The schizophrenia, well, I'm not on anything for that, and look at me!" he beamed, and I giggled nervously.

"As for the anxiety and depression? All side effects of living a life that doesn't uh, suit you."

I frowned.

"Hey," he said, cupping my cheek, "let's just flush those and get some sleep. Whaddya say?"I found myself nodding and mechanically following him to the bathroom. As I watched the toilet flush away hundreds of dollars worth of antidepressants and anti psychotics, I felt strangely lighter, and that night, I slept soundly for the first time in years.

XXXX

True to his word, Jack was a perfect gentleman that night, and the next morning I woke up to the sounds of conversation and the smell of bacon.

Lazlo was snuggled up on my chest, and I could feel his cool breath against my chin, and hear him snorting in his sleep.

Gently I moved him aside, and when he rolled onto his back I gave him a belly rub for a few minutes, smiling at the ecstatic expression on his cute little face. Giving him a kiss on his cool, wet nose, I got out of the bed and straightened my clothes.

Shuffling into the kitchen, I found Jack and another man sitting at the rickety card table, with breakfast cooking on the stove.

"Well, well, looks who's up!" Jack exclaimed, rising and swaggering over to me.

"How'd you uh, sleep baby girl?" he asked, taking me into this arms, and I laid my head on his shoulder and let my eyes fall closed.

"Mmph, really good." I mumbled, and I felt his cheek brush my hair as he nodded.

"Good! Come sit down here with Charlie, breakfast is almost ready. By the way, this is your job from now on. You'll understand why when you taste this."

I laughed and grabbed Lazlo's dog dish, and poured some of his dog food inside. The dog in question came running at the sound of the hard kibbles hitting the plastic bowl, and I put it down just in time for him to skid across the linoleum and shove his face into the mound of food.

Sitting down, Jack turned and smiled.

"Claire, Charlie; Charlie, Claire." Jack said, turning back to the stove.

"Charlie, keep your hands to yourself, or I'll cut them off. Don't believe me, ask Falconi. Almost knifed him last night."

Charlie choked on the coffee he was currently taking a sip of, and stared at Jack in shock.

"You almost started an all out war with the mob over a woman?" he exclaimed, and Jack turned back around.

"Not just any woman. My woman, and my uh, sidekick you could say. And anyhow, he forced my hand when he got grabby. Doesn't anyone have uh, manners these days?"

Charlie shook his head in wonder. "No worries boss, you know I'm a married man."

Jack nodded.

"Good." he grunted, then delivered the breakfast to the table.

"Bon apetit!" he exclaimed with a flourish, then settled into his wobbly chair.

Jack was right. I would definitely be taking over the cooking. I wasn't sure how he'd managed to burn the bacon beyond recognition, but severely undercook the eggs, but even though we'd just met, I already knew not to ask.

When Jack wasn't looking I tried to feed some of the food to Lazlo. No dice, he turned up his nose, gave me a withering look, and strode away.

"Claire, Charlie works for me. He's pretty valuable, seeing as he's a cop with mob connections. Which is why I uh, sincerely hope he behaves himself. Hard to hold a gun with no hands."

Charlie chuckled, mouth full, and I smiled weakly.

"How many people do you have working for you?" I asked, and Jack grinned.

"Just Charlie. This is a uh, pretty new operation."

"And you want what, city domination?"He laughed.

"Something like that."

"Boss don't want anything, he has no goals, he's bat shit crazy." Charlie said simply, and Jack howled with laughter.

"Baby, all I want is to open everyone's eyes. Make them see that their uh, little worlds are little lives are based on lies of safety and order."

"Boss just wants chaos." Charlie summed up, and Jack shrugged.

"Close enough."


	5. Chapter Five: Straight Shooter

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Batman. I just own the original characters.

**The Calm Before the Storm**

_Chapter Five: Straight Shooter_

"First rule: respect the gun."

I looked down at the bright orange dart gun.

"It's a Nerf pistol." I reminded him, and Jack rolled his eyes.

"Pretend. You aren't shooting a real gun in here. Only _I'm _allowed to do that."

"And why am I shooting Justin Bieber?"

"Just go with it."

"Right."

"Put your feet shoulder width apart." he instructed, and when I had done so, he came up behind me, pressing against my back and running his arms along mine.

"Hold the gun out like this," he demonstrated with my hands, "and then squeeze the trigger, don't pull."

He pressed my finger against the trigger, and with a 'pop!' the dart struck Justin Bieber right between the eyes.

"Score!" I exclaimed, and Jack laughed.

"Now you try. Remember, squeeze on the exhale."

I took position, let out my breath and squeeze the trigger, and this time Justin Bieber took a dart right in the nose.

"Oh yeah!" I cheered.

"You sure you haven't done this before?" Jack asked, walking across the spacious living room to retrieve the darts from the cardboard cutout.

"Well, I played a lot of Duck Hunt when I was a kid…"

"Ha ha, very funny…" Jack groused, bringing back the darts. "I think you're ready for the real thing. C'mon, we're going for a drive."

XXXXX

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I demanded, and Jack blinked in surprise.

"What did you _think _I meant by 'the real thing'?"

"A shooting range or something, I don't know!"

I was nearly in hysterics by now, and Jack laughed.

"Calm down, cupcake. Just exhale and squeeze."

"You really _are _crazy!"

"Do it."

"No!"

"I said _do it." _

His voice reached an impossibly low pitch and I shivered in fear and… arousal? What the hell?

"Look, this guy is a Moretti goon. He's going to die today, either you shoot him or I do, and you do _not _want me to."

"Why not?"

"Because I won't stop with one bullet. I don't think you're ready for that kind of carnage."

Swallowing hard, I raised the gun.

"Why does he have to die?"

"To send a message to Moretti from Falconi."

"I thought you wanted to put down the mob. Why are you helping Falconi?"

Jack sighed, clearly feeling put upon. "The timing isn't right yet. Now shoot the guy."

I took a deep breath, let it out and squeezed the trigger.

And missed.

"Shit!" I hissed, and the Moretti goon whipped around, his buddies jumping up in alarm.

Luckily we were well hidden in the warehouse across the street from Moretti's hideout, so we had a few minutes before they would find us.

"Great job, baby." Jack said snidely, and I shoved him.

"I didn't do it on purpose!" I exclaimed, and he shoved a pistol at me.

"Well, you better hope your aim is better this time, because here they come."

Peeking out the window, I gulped. Six guys were on their way across the street, all of them carrying guns.

"You hide in the rafters over there," he pointed to some beams above the door, "they don't know there's two of us. Shoot them from behind when they're distracted. Go!"

I quickly ran across the warehouse, dodging crates and abandoned tow motors, and climbed the access ladder. I laid on my stomach across the beam, and waited.

Two minutes later the doors burst open, and the target and his five friends came in. They locked eyes on Jack immediately.

"It's Falconi's clown," the one I'd tried to shoot said, "Nice aim, freak."

"Haven't you ever heard of a, uh, warning shot?" Jack asked casually.

"Yeah right, what were you warning me of, then?"

Jack shrugged. "Her."

I took my cue and before he had a chance to be confused, I shot. This time I didn't miss.

The guy went down, and his buddies whipped around.

Taking advantage, Jack managed to take out two of them, and I nailed another one in the stomach.

That left two. A bullet pinged off of a beam beside me, and I jumped, then fired.

Jack was crouched behind a crate, but I was pretty exposed.

Another guy went down, and I fired at the last one, then felt a burning pain in my thigh.

"Fuck!" I cried, and shot one last time as I felt myself starting to fall from the beam. I got the guy right between the eyes, then hit the ground at least 20 feet below.

Jack was suddenly standing over me, eyes wide.

"Haha," I rasped, "Justin Bieber."

And then I passed out.


	6. Chapter Six: Story Time

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Batman. Only own the original characters.

**Notes: **Thanks to my two reviewers so far. If you're reading this story, please take a moment to drop me a review. I really appreciate every one I get!

**The Calm Before the Storm  
**_Chapter Six: Story Time_

When I woke up, it was to the strange sensation of tugging on my leg. I tried to roll over, and gasped in surprised pain.

"Hold still, baby." came Jack's voice from behind me, and I groaned. Everything hurt, but my left leg was definitely the worst.

"How bad is it?" I rasped, and Jack clucked his tongue.

"Not as bad as I first thought. Got the uh, bullet out of your leg, missed the femoral artery just barely. You're lucky."

"Oh yeah," I ground out, "real lucky."

"Think your right wrist is sprained, wiggle your fingers for me."

I did so, wincing.

"Not broken," he assured me, "but you hit your head pretty hard, might have a concussion."

I nodded, which was about all the moving I could do without wanting to weep.

"But hey, you did good." he praised, and with one last tug, which I realized was Jack stitching up my leg, he moved around to my front, leaned down, and brushed his lips against my forehead.

"Mmmph, thanks." I mumbled, and he smiled.

"Lets get you sitting up." he reached out and began to help me into a more upright position, back against the headboard of the bed.

"Oh, thought you might get a kick out of this." he said, and picked up a piece of paper from the dresser, and handed it to me.

I looked down, and my stomach flip-flopped. It was a missing person flyer, with my picture on it.

"Shit." I murmured, and Jack laughed.

"It's not funny!" I exclaimed, which of course only made him laugh harder.

"What am I supposed to do about this?" I demanded.

"Relax," he soothed, petting my hair, "it'll all blow over. Just don't contact them. At all. Ever. They'll give up eventually."

I frowned. I didn't want my family to worry about me, as much as they made me angry and treated me like some kind of dangerous crazy person. I smiled, apparently that was exactly what I was!

"Falconi stopped by this morning, offered to have his personal, very discrete doctor take a look at you. I said it was your decision." Jack said conversationally.

"I think I'm okay." I mumbled, then held out my hand to him.

Looking a little confused, Jack took my hand in his own, and I smiled weakly at him.

"Would you lay down next to me?" I asked softly.

Jack grinned and crawled onto the bed, careful not to jar me at all. Once he was settled in, he held his arms open and I gingerly rolled to lay against him.

He was warm, and smelled faintly of gunpowder and spice. Smiling, I closed my eyes and relaxed.

Jack gently rubbed my back, humming under his breath, and it didn't take long for me to fall asleep.

XXXX

Something was licking my face? Eyes closed, I groaned. "Lazlo, no." I scolded.

"Woof." came Jack's voice and the licking against my neck continued, interspersed with nibbles and kisses.

My eyes flew open and sure enough, Jack was leaning over me.

My whole body was suddenly on fire.

"Oh God." I gasped, and he drew back, grinning.

"You've uh, been asleep for hours and you really should eat. This uh, seemed like a fun way to wake you up."

He smiled boldly at me, and if I wasn't in so much pain I probably would have jumped him right there.

My stomach chose that moment to rumble, and Jack chuckled.

"Whaddya want to eat?" he asked, reaching out to rub my belly.

"Nothing you cook." I mumbled, still sleepy, and he gave me a pinch in the side.

"Not nice." he scolded, and rolled out of the bed.

"How about I send Charlie for a pizza." he offered, and I nodded.

Pulling out his phone, Jack made a quick call to Charlie.

"Hey, go get a pizza."

Silence, and then, "Pepperoni, what else? Hurry up, I think Claire might go cannibal if I don't feed her soon."

Another beat of silence, and then Jack rolled his eyes.

"Don't be disgusting, and leave the jokes to me."

And with that, he flipped the phone closed.

"Amateur." he grumbled.

"Jack?" I sad softly.

"Yeah, cupcake?"

"How many people did I kill yesterday?" I asked, voice small.

Jack grinned. "Enough to impress me." he assured, and I frowned.

"That not what I was getting at. I just, I feel strangely ambivalent about it this time, not at all like it was with Joey."

"That's probably because these guys were actively trying to kill you." he said simply, and I nodded.

"Good point."

"So," Jack began, voice a little cautious, "tell me about Joey."


	7. Chapter Seven: All About Love

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Batman. I just own the original characters.

**Calm Before the Storm**  
_Chapter Seven: All About Love_

Joey. What was there to tell?

"We dated. He was very controlling, told me who I could and couldn't spend time with, tried to isolate me from my friends and family. When I started to try to stand up for myself, he started hitting me."

I trailed off, starting into space, just remembering.

"He could be so sweet and charming, though, I guess that's why I stuck around."

Jack nodded.

"So what happened next?"

I took a deep breath. I hadn't talked about this since I was in court three years ago.

"We went out for supper one night. The waiter gave me his number, and when we got home Joey went crazy, accusing me of being unfaithful. He pulled a knife on me. I ran into the bedroom and hid in the closet, where he kept his gun. When he opened the closet door he stabbed me in the arm, and then I shot him. And I just kept shooting him, and when the gun was empty, I crushed his face with my high heels on. Then I called the police."

Jack nodded.

"Baby, I need you to know something and really believe it. I'm a uh, violent man, but I will never raise a hand against you. Do you believe me?"

I looked at the odd, scarred man before me, and the strangest thing happened.

"I believe you."

XXXX

"In other news, Claire St. Peters is still missing. Claire is 5'7" tall, with red hair and blue eyes. She weighs approximately 130 pounds, and has a tattoo of three red diamonds on her right upper arm. She has been missing since Tuesday night. If anyone has any information concerning her whereabouts, they are urged to call the number on the bottom of the screen right away."

I stared at the picture on the TV screen next to the newscasters head. It had been taken six months ago at my friend's wedding, and was one of the best pictures I'd ever had taken of me. I looked good in the off-red bridesmaid's dress, and I was in mid-laugh, face flushed with alcohol and happiness.

I wondered what Tiffany was thinking, seeing the picture on the news. And my parents, how much was this hurting them?

A part of me hoped they were suffering, after how abusive they'd been to me as a child, and how disappointed they'd been in me as an adult. A little voice inside me insisted that they deserved everything they got.

The newscaster moved on to the weather, and I looked at the clock on the DVD player. It was 10:30 at night now, and Jack had been gone almost all day. With my leg still healing from the gunshot wound, I had to stay home, and let him go on his latest job alone.

I was trying not to worry about him, but it was hard, knowing that he was on his own setting up high powered explosives to blow up the bank where the Moretti family kept their dirty money and ran most their operation , Jack was a genius when it came to bombs, but I was more worried about someone catching him in the act. With no lookout, he was vulnerable.

I'd tried to convince him to take Charlie along, but he'd insisted that the bulky guy would just be a liability. Apparently he wasn't very stealthy.

Getting up from the couch, I hobbled over to the door to the apartment and called for Lazlo. The chubby pug came trotting out of the bedroom, stopped before me, and sneezed cutely, then stretched and yawned.

"Hey there little man!" I cooed, "ready to go potty?"

Lazlo writhed in delight, and I snapped on his leash and led him from the apartment, through the musty, filthy, creepy corridor, and out the front door.

The only light came from the moon, and one far-off, flickering street light, and I squinted, trying to see through the darkness as Lazlo scurried this way and that, gleefully lifting his leg to pee on everything in sight.

"Who's momma's best boy? Hmm? Is it you?" I baby-talked, and Lazlo squatted, back to me.

"Oops, I'll just avert my gaze…" I mumbled, and looked off into the distance instead.

I heard something crunch behind me, and before I could react, I was pinned against the ground, face down in the dirt.

Lazlo growled for a moment then gave an excited yip, and I felt hot breath against my left ear.

"I'm uh, pretty sure I told you not to come out here alone at night."

Oh, thank God.

"Jack!" I exclaimed, mouth full of dirt, "Gettoff me!"

Chuckling, he pulled me to my feet, and began dusting me off.

I spit a few times, then gave him a shove.

"I wasn't alone, Lazlo was here!" I reasoned, and Jack rolled his eyes.

"That uh, little butter ball is six kinds of useless in this sort of situation. I was watching you for uh, over five minutes. All he did was piss on everything and take a big crap right where we walk."

I stuck out my tongue at him, and Jack made a grab for it.

"Don't you wave that sex organ at me!" he scolded, and I blushed, making him laugh out loud.

"C'mon baby, let's go inside." he took my hand, I gave Lazlo's leash a tug, and we made our way back home.

XXXX

When we got inside, I headed to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.

"Jack!" I exclaimed. He rushed in, concern on his face.

"Look at me!" I cried, "I'm filthy!"

And I really was. My face was covered in dirt, and my hair had nature debris stuck in it all over. Jack snickered, and turned to the tub.

"I'll uh, just draw you a bath." he said amid chuckles, and I pouted, rubbing at the dirt on my face.

Over the sound of the water filling the tub, I heard Jack growl, and I turned, giving him a curious look. Moving over to me, he began to tug my shirt up, and I gasped, batting his hands away.

"Hold still." he hissed, and he tugged my shirt up over my head, revealing my red bra.

"Shit." he moaned, and I shivered, looking at him nervously.

"Mmmph, baby you look so good." he groaned, and he put his hands just above my hips and drew me close, so my chest was pressed his. His face tilted, and he pressed his lips to mine in a deep, passionate kiss.

I immediately began to tremble, and clutched at his arms desperately.

Breaking away, Jack looked down at me, breathing heavily through his mouth.

"I'm uh, done being a gentleman now. Just so you know."

And then his mouth was everywhere, against my neck, my shoulders, my collarbones, and my head spun.

"Oh God…" I moaned, grabbing the back of his head in my hands, "don't stop."

Laughing against my chest, Jack gave my cleavage a little nip, then drew back to look into my eyes.

"Bath time."

Reaching down, he unbuttoned my jeans and went to his knees, tugging my pants down around my ankles.

I braced myself against his shoulders and stepped out of my pants, then reached up, and making sure Jack was watching, unclipped my bra and let it fall off.

Jack made a strangled sound in his throat and quickly tugged my panties off, then stood, scooped me up in his arms, and dumped me into the tub.

I watched as he quickly unbuttoned his purple shirt, shed his pinstriped pants, and toed off his socks.

Down to his smiley face boxers, he struck a pose, then shed them too, and climbed into the tub after me.

He settled me between his legs, my back to his front, and grabbed the bar of soap and a washcloth.

"You're so beautiful." he rasped against the back of my neck, placing little kisses there.

I blushed and ran my fingers up and down his thighs.

"Mmm, careful cupcake. I want this to last." he warned, and then he began to lather me up. The feel of his soap-slicked hands running over my body was heavenly, and I moaned, leaning back against him heavily.

"Jack, please." I begged, and he nibbled my earlobe.

"Soon, baby," he whispered, voice thick, "soon."

I shivered when his hands caressed up my thighs and over my tummy, and as his mouth latched on to my shoulder, his hands brushed my breasts. He took my nipples in his fingers and rolled them gently and when that made me writhe and moan, he intensified the pressure, making my body jerk and spasm in delight, water sloshing around us in choppy waves.

"Baby, yes," he hissed, "tell me want you want."

Crying out in frustration, I grabbed his hand and thrust it between my thighs.

"Touch me!" I begged, and Jack snarled in my ear, pressing his fingers against my clit and beginning to rub it fiercely.

"Jack!" I wailed, clutching his wrist desperately, working my hips against his hand.

"Fuck, Claire." he growled, licking a trail to my ear.

I could feel his erection against my bottom, hot and steely, and I pressed back against him, delighting in his choked moan.

"Bed. Now." he ground out, and scrambled out of the tub. I climbed out after him, legs wobbling, and he practically dragged me to the bedroom, and shoved me down on the bed.

Then he was on top of me, forcing my legs apart.

"Mine." he growled, then thrust home.

"Yours!" I agreed passionately, wrapping my legs around him and lifting my hips to meet each thrust.

Panting with the exertion, Jack pounded into me rapidly, sinking his teeth into my shoulder and growling.

Several more thrusts an then I felt my body let go. Stars danced behind my closed eyes, and I spasmed around him, causing Jack to bellow in shocked pleasure and thrust against me wildly.

"Baby, yes!" he roared, and I felt him swell inside of me, and then felt burst after burst of heat deep inside.

"Jack!" I wailed, and he moaned, thrusting against me sporadically, panting deeply.

"Oh God, I love you." I moaned, then went completely still, horrified at what I had just said.

"Mmmm, right back atcha, cupcake." he mumbled, then rolled off of me with a groan. I relaxed, and curled up against him.

In only a matter of moments, we were both sound asleep.


	8. Chapter Eight: New Faces

**Disclaimer: **Still don't own Batman. I only own the original characters.

**Notes: **Sorry I haven't updated in a while, I have a bunch more written, I've just been really busy and haven't had time to type it all up. To those of you who want to know a bit more about Claire, give me a few chapters and you'll be learning a hell of a lot more. You'll also be seeing the affects of her lack of medication soon.

**The Calm Before the Storm**

_Chapter Eight: New Faces_

When I woke up the next morning, Jack was snuggled against my back, still sound asleep. I thought back on the night before and had to smile. It had been a while for me, and Jack had been perfect, just the right mix of rough and gentle.

Jack shifted in his sleep, one arm tightening around my waist, and I rested a hand on his forearm, closing my eyes again.

And then they flew open.

I wasn't on the pill, and we had most certainly not used protection. My heart began to race. How could I have been so foolish?

Suddenly I felt lips against my shoulder, and I rolled over to meet Jack's sleepy gaze.

"Mmm, morning." he murmured, and leaned in to give me a soft kiss.

I drew back, putting my fingers against his lips.

"We didn't use protection." I stated, and Jack frowned.

"Oops."

Swatting his arm, I rolled out of bed.

"Is that all you have to say? What if I'm pregnant?" I demanded, and he sat up.

"Baby, relax. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," he stood and walked to stand before me, "and besides, would having my baby really be so uh, unpleasant?"

"Having anyone's baby right now would not be ideal," I said simply, "I'm not ready for that, and this is not the lifestyle to raise a child in."

"People reproduce at uh, worse times than this." Jack argued, and I frowned.

"You want me to be pregnant?" I demanded, and he put up his hands defensively.

"I'm just saying if you were, that it would uh, it would be okay. I'd take care of you. Both of you."

I felt my heart melt a little, and I stepped forward, letting Jack fold me into his arms.

"I guess all we can do is wait and see what happens." I said, voice muffled against his bare chest.

He nodded and pressed a kiss to the top of my head."I guess so."

XXXX

"Jack!" I shouted from the living room later that day.

He was in his "office", but at my shout he came running.

"What?" he asked, and I pointed wildly at the floor in front of the TV.

"Spider!" I exclaimed, and Jack began to laugh hysterically.

"Ahaha-you're afraid of spiders?"

"You're an ass!" I pouted, making sure not to take my eyes off of the diabolical creature, lest it escaped.

"Okay, okay." he relented, still giggling. Walking over, he crouched down and scooped the disgusting creepy-crawly into his hands and carried it to the window. He carefully opened it and put the spider on the sill, then turned to me.

"All better?" he drawled, wetting his lips.

"My hero." I cooed, and he grinned and plopped down on the couch next to me

Lazlo came out of his hiding place behind the TV stand and curiously sniffed around where the spider had been, ears perked and stubby tail angled downwards.

"Don't tell me the dog is afraid of spiders, too." Jack groaned, and I rolled my eyes, then patted my lap.

"C'mere Lazlo. It's okay, Jack took care of the icky spider."

Tail beginning to wag wildly, Lazlo scurried over and hopped up to my lap eagerly, only to move over into Jack's embrace instead and begin to lick his chin.

"Aww, he's thanking you." I said, tickled, and Jack chuckled and gave Lazlo a pat on the head, then put him down on the floor and looked at me expectantly.

"What?"

"Well, I thought maybe you were going to thank me, too."

Laughing, I crawled into his lap and placed a few kisses against his neck and jaw line.

"Mmmm…" he purred, "you're welcome."

Suddenly the Super Mario theme went off, and I jumped.

"Sorry." Jack said, fumbling in his pocket. Pulling out his cell phone, he answered it quickly.

"What?" he demanded.

"It worked?" Jack let out a whoop, and began laughing hysterically.

"Good, I'll uh, talk to you then."

Hanging up the phone, Jack grabbed my face and gave me a deep, passionate kiss.

"It worked!" he exclaimed, ecstatic.

"What worked?"

"The trap I set for Moretti last night. He tripped it himself! He's been blown to bits, and uh… utter chaos, everywhere!"

Getting up, he danced around the living room a bit, then returned to the couch.

"So you know what this means?" he asked, leaning in and trailing kisses up my neck.

"Mmm… what does it mean?" I asked, becoming a little distracted.

"Falconi has utter faith in me now. It's uh, time to betray him, and then everyone will understand complete anarchy. They'll all get the joke."

I frowned, trying to piece everything together.

"No organized mob at all… it won't last long."

"Long enough for me to get my foot in the door. Baby, it's time for rapid expansion!"

"What are you talking about?" I asked, having trouble following his schizophrenic logic.

"We're holding tryouts for more uh, henchmen," he grinned, "We're going to need a lot more than just Charlie if we're going to pull this off."

I blinked a few times, letting everything sink in.

"And then what?"

"Then, we take Falconi head on," he said simply, "and introduce this city to true chaos."

XXXXX

"Here, wear this."

Jack and I were going out. All he would tell me was that it was for business, not pleasure, and that I had to 'look right'.

He was holding out a garment bag to me, and I took it, curious.

"I had my uh, tailor whip that up for you for uh, 'special occasions'. This is the perfect time to try it out."

I nodded and laid the bag on the bed. Jack pulled a few articles of clothing from the closet for himself and began to undress.

Thescars on his face weren't the only ones he had, and I lost count of the other marks that marred his body. I hadn't got the greatest look the other night (I had been a little distracted, in my defense!), and I walked towards him.

"Where did they all come from?" I asked, reaching out to trace a particularly bad scar on his upper arm.

Jack stopped with one leg in his purple pinstripe trousers, and looked down at me, then shrugged.

"Knives, gunshots, dominatrix's…" he trailed off, then laughed at my disgruntled expression.

"Baby, I don't remember where half of them uh, came from. Had 'em for as long as I can recall."

Cautiously, I reached up and brushed my fingertips against the scar on his right cheek

Jack froze and watched me warily.

"And these?" I asked, hoping I wasn't making a huge mistake. Jack frowned.

"Don't know."

"You can tell me." I coaxed, and Jack shook his head.

"No, I can't. I don't remember."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"What?" I asked, unable to comprehend.

"Look," he sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, "everything that happened to me before about five years ago is a complete blank. I don't even know how old I am."

I stared at him in shock.

"Was there some kind of accident?" I asked, eyes wide.

"I don't know. The earliest thing I remember is waking up one morning under a bridge about three blocks from here with a broken nose and a bloody knife in my pocket."

I was stunned.

"You need to get dressed." he said, effectively ending the conversation. Not wanting to push I nodded and retreated to the other wide of the bed, taking off my clothes and opening the garment bag.

Inside was a purple pinstriped mini-dress, low cut in the front, and with thin straps at the shoulder.

I looked up at Jack, who was watching me with a grin.

"Put it on." he urged, and I nodded and carefully tugged it over my head.

It fit perfectly.

"How did you know my size?" I asked, pleasantly surprised.

"I uh, took your measurements while you were sleeping." he grinned.

"I love it!" I enthused, staring at my reflection in the mirror above the dresser

Jack tugged on a black button up shirt, and then a purple vest, and then came up behind me, resting his hands on my hips.

"Whatcha going to do with your hair?" he asked, and I shrugged and began to brush out my long red locks.

I pulled it back into a high pony tail and Jack wrinkled his nose cutely. He hadn't put on his 'war paint' yet, and I thought he looked better without it. Unfortunately he didn't agree and almost never washed it off completely, usually wearing it everywhere except to bed.

"Don't like your hair like that." he said simply, and I let it back down.

We went through the same thing with three more styles, before I threw down the brush, frustrated.

"Fine, you do it then!" I shouted, and laughing, Jack grabbed the brush and quickly put my hair up into two adorable pigtails.

"No." I said firmly, and he grinned.

"Yes." he countered.

Rolling my eyes, I looked myself over and shrugged. It actually didn't look too bad.

"Fine."

XXXXX

We pulled into a gravel parking lot that was quite full of cars and litter alike, and Jack shut off the engine.

I unbuckled my seatbelt, and he grabbed my arm.

"Wait. This is important."

Turning, I met his gaze.

"This is the only bar in the area that is run by and caters to criminals, but has no mob presence. That means that things in there are complete anarchy. Stick close to me and follow my lead, no matter what."

He grabbed my small purse and put an equally small pistol inside.

"Just in case." he said, then grabbed the back of my head and kissed me passionately.

Eagerly I returned the embrace, and he drew back a minute or two later.

"Let's go."

We casually made our way inside. The place looked pretty average. There were a few pool tables, a dart board, and a huge bar along the back wall. The dance floor was scuffed and empty.

The jukebox played hard rock, and several people looked up when we entered.

Jack took my hand and led me to the bar. When the bartended stepped over, he ordered two rum and Cokes (how did he know that was my favorite drink?) and then turned his back, looking out over the many bar patrons.

From the end of the bar I heard someone call over.

"Hey, ain't you the one that blew up Moretti?"

Damn, word traveled fast.

Jack turned. The man was tall and lanky, and covered in tattoos. His blonde hair was cut short, and his eyes were a little bloodshot.

"Uh, that would be me." Jack said casually, and the bar got a little quieter.

"Impressive." the guy said, and walked over.

He was substantially taller than Jack, especially with the way he slouched.

He held out his hand, and Jack took it, and gave the guy a grin.

"Rob." he offered, and Jack nodded.

"Jack." he introduced, then gestured to me, "Claire." he offered, and Rob took my hand next and gave it a brief shake.

"I gotta ask you, what's next?" Rob asked, looking very curious.

"Falconi." Jack said simply, and Rob gave a low whistle.

"You have goals, all right."

Jack chuckled. "What about you? Do you, uh, have goals, Rob?" Jack asked, and he shrugged.

"Just trying to get by." He explained, and Jack nodded.

"So, they call you The Joker on TV." Rob offered, and Jack laughed.

"That they do."

"You like it?" Rob asked, and Jack nodded.

"It's uh, fitting, you could say."

He looked Rob over, then leaned closer. "Just trying to get by, huh?"

Rob nodded. "Yeah, I do odd jobs here and there. Mostly B and E stuff. Some car thefts, if the opportunity strikes."

Jack grinned. "How would you like a uh, more permanent position?"

Rob blinked a few times, looking at Jack cautiously. "What are you offering?"

"I need a crew." he said, and reached out to squeeze my thigh, "right now it's just me and Claire and one more. If Falconi's going to go down I'm going to need faithful minions."

Rob nodded.

"And what's in it for me?"

"Well uh, Falconi's pretty rich. And I don't care too much about money. I uh, figured that whoever comes on and works for me would split the uh, 'spoils of war'."

Rob grinned. "Count me in."

XXXXXX

Once Rob signed on, he made a few quick phone calls to some buddies, and within an hour we had six more guys. Jack declared this a success for the day, and we headed home.

As he drove, Jack rubbed my thigh, careful near the gunshot wound that was still healing. Running his hand under my dress, he growled as he reached my panties.

"The things I'm going to do to you when we get home…" he mused out loud, and I trembled in anticipation.

We were still at least ten minutes from home when Jack grabbed my hand and drew it into his lap.

"Touch me." he growled, and I bit my lip.

"Sweetie, you have the attention span of a chipmunk on speed. Probably not the best idea while you're driving." I warned, and he matter of factly put my hand on his crotch with a moan.

It was too tempting, and I gently massaged him through his pants, feeling his erection grow harder under my touch.

"Baby, yeah…" he groaned, and slid his hand under my dress again, playing with the elastic of my panties.

"Drive faster." I panted, and Jack laughed.

"Almost home."

I unfastened his pants and reached inside, feeling his hot cock bare in my hand, and I shivered.

"Jack," I gasped out, "please hurry."

Stepping on the gas, he sped the rest of the way home and parked the car.

Not even bothering to button his pants, Jack tucked himself back into his boxers and rushed to the dilapidated building, with me hot on his heels.

We got inside the door and Lazlo came bounding over, only to skid to a halt in surprise when Jack roughly shoved me to the carpeted floor and forced me to my hands and knees.

He was breathing harshly, and he shoved the dress up around my hips and tore away his pants as quickly as he could.

"Fuck, Claire." he hissed, and gave my exposed ass a firm slap.

I squealed and laughed, trying to look over my shoulder at him as he knelt behind me. His eyes were wild, lips parted, and I felt a surge of heat between my legs.

"Jack," I murmured, "now."

"Yeah." he agreed, and pushing my panties aside, he thrust home almost violently.

I cried out in surprise, and rocked back against him eagerly, squeezing my eyes shut in complete enjoyment.

He began to pound away, thrusting hard and fast, clutching my waist tightly and groaning under his breath.

"Baby!" I cried and I lifted a hand from the floor and slid it between my legs. He swatted it away and took over, rubbing my clit with his first two fingers rapidly, driving me wild.

"Fuck!" I wailed, whole body shaking and arms threatening to give out.

Then Jack did something that absolutely drove me crazy, but that I would never tell anyone about.

He started to talk dirty to me.

"You uh, like that cock?" he ground out, and with a wail I felt myself beginning to climax, clenching hard on him with my inner muscles.

"Shit, baby!" he exclaimed, pleasantly surprised, "squeeze that cock, let me feel your pussy!"

My eyes rolled back in my head and I came harder than I ever had before. My whole body jerked and writhed, and my arms gave out, dropping me to my chest with my ass still held in the air by Jack's strong grip.

"Claire!" he roared, then let out an almost inhuman bellow of pure passion and began to pump into me at lightning speed.

His cock swelled and grew fiery hot inside of me, and then with a hoarse shout, I felt his seed burst deep inside of me, every pump hot and delicious against my walls.

"Shit baby, I think I almost had an aneurism." he chuckled weakly, and slowly pulled out of me.

Rolling onto my back, I looked up at him with a stupid grin on my face.

"You sir, are a sex god." I stated plainly, and Jack laughed heartily.

"You too, baby." he murmured, and reached out to me, drawing me into his arms.

"Claire, the other night, you said something to me."

I nodded.

"I feel that way towards you." he said gently, and pressed his lips to mine.

"Jack, can't you say the words?"

He drew back. "I don't know. I don't remember, but I'm pretty sure I've never said them before."

I smiled. "I love you, Jack."

Swallowing thickly, he took my face in his trembling hands, leaned our foreheads together, and let out a long sigh.

"I love you too, Claire."


End file.
